Jerry Jones talks Trump conversation, Anthem Protests and Lee injury

In the face of scrutiny surrounding his relationship with President Donald Trump in the wake of the National Anthem protests around the NFL, Jones has said and done all the right things to remain on the right side of the spectrum in the eyes of many. Appearing on 105.3 the Fan on Friday morning, Jones continued that streak.

After speaking briefly on the topic of actual football, attributing the Cowboys early offensive struggles to the elite defenses they’ve faced and saying they need to do more of what they did in the second half against Arizona, the conversation quickly turned to the Cowboys demonstration for the anthem on Monday.

Jerry Jones tells The Fan the #Cowboys got a little caught up in the kneeling stuff and that was why they has a slow start in Arizona.

Jones said the team, and specifically wide receiver Dez Bryant, were under a lot of pressure to kneel in some sense. He said the front office came to the players with suggestions on how to proceed, and they asked the players for their own suggestions as well. The finished product is what we saw on the field in Arizona, and Jones said he was proud of his guys for that.

Jerry on @1053thefan – “I want everyone to know that I’ve ASKED the players…Not tell.” No forced rhetoric to stand for the flag.

On the topic of declining NFL ratings due to the protests, which Trump tweeted about on Tuesday, Jones flashed his genius by giving an in-depth explanation as to why that wasn’t the case. Jones notes that the Nielson ratings don’t include people who watch through stream, digital and handheld, which are becoming more popular with millennial viewers. He also notes that peak viewing interest for the sport isn’t usually until between Thanksgiving and February anyway.

As far as Trumps’ later tweet that he and Jones spoke about the protests, Jones gave minimal insight into how the conversation went.

Jerry Jones on President Trump's tweet that they spoke, "He did call. He was complimentary which doesn't mean we acquiesced" (@1053TheFan)

He made a point of noting that Trump’s call wasn’t just a pat on the back, and that they did have an actual short conversation. Jones said that Trump is a big football fan and that his mother was heavily involved in the Salvation Army, in large part thanks to Jones’ daughter, Charlotte.

To wrap things up, Jones spoke briefly about the Cowboys game against the Rams on Sunday. He said that linebacker Sean Lee, who is nursing a hamstring injury, has been “touch-and-go” in practice and that he will decide if he will play against the Rams. If that’s the case, expect The General to be out there on Sunday.

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